18 Months

Age: 18 Months

Look, Ma!  No cast!

Height: 34.5 inches

Weight: 26 pounds, 11 ounces

Favorite Activity: You love your toy trucks. We went to visit at a friend's house and you spent the evening playing with his trucks. Dinner? Meh, not interested. New baby? Whatever, Mother. No...I would like to sit in my new friend's room and play with his toys.

Shh, Mama...I'm concentrating on my trucks.

Honorable Mentions:  You have a new love of coloring. I found you some chunky washable crayons and a sketch pad at Target and you will sit and color for as long as we'll let you. I see some quality coloring time coming this summer.

Tickling with Daddy...look at that crazy hair.  (Yours, not Daddy's)

Least Favorite Activity: Holding our hands in public. Ohhhhh, how you loathe holding our hands. You rip your hand out of ours and toddle off. If we insist on holding your hand, you go limp. Then it becomes a effort to keep you from whacking your head on the floor. Not cool, man. Not. Cool.

Milestones: You are putting together sentences and phrases at lightning speed. "I go!" And "Hi, Daaaaa!" are two of my favorites.

New Activity: New phrases and definitely understanding what we're telling/asking you. Oh, and you've started climbing up into our laps and clearly demanding, "Elmo!" Sigh. Needless to say, you love your nightly Sesame Street episode.

Your knee is very comfortable, Mama.

Words: I'm going to have to change this one to sentences because, buddy, you are spitting them out right and left. One that makes me giggle is when you make your pooping noise (yes, it's very distinctive), you've now started peeking out from wherever you are and saying, "Bye!" Bye is Wombat code for "I'm done with you, you can go now." Let me just take a moment to assure you that you are fooling no one with this new distraction.

Signs: You are using "help" more now. I think you've realized Daddy and I will bail you out when you start signing help.

Sleep: We think your 2 year molars are coming in so you've had some rough nights. Otherwise, you chatter for a little while before eventually falling asleep.

Best Moment: Cast off day! Watching you run out of the orthopaedic surgeon's office at full speed made my day! I tried taking a picture, but surprise, surprise it was blurry.

Worst Moment: On Daddy's last Saturday of work, I ran to the bathroom. While I was gone, you climbed up on the bin between the chair and the couch. You then climbed into the chair to sit. You were so proud of yourself. As I cleared the gate to come spot you, you decided to slide out of the chair the way you slide off the coffee table...except, you decided to go head first. Once more than half of your body was out of the seat, you went down to the ground fast and bonked your head. Scared the heck out of me AND you. Not cool, buddy. Not cool.

Sorry, Mama...seat's taken.

Favorite Foods: All things pork. You'd follow anyone home if they offered you a slice of ham.

Eating: Listen here, Mr. Picky Pants. I don't want to resort to hiding veggies in your food...but I will. I'm hoping to get you to be more of an adventurous eater when I'm home all the time with you. I'm doubtful, but hopeful. 

Teeth: See sleep. Those 2 year molars must be killer. You're a drooly, snotty mess. Poor baby.

Who me?  Drool?

Oh and this! Mama has been forbidden from cutting your hair. We took you last weekend to get your hair cut one more time before we move and you did great until the last 5 minutes. She quickly finished your bangs and we were on our way. When we got home I noticed that she had missed some pieces in the front. So during your bath, I "trimmed" the long hairs.

Or not. I did a bad. You now have a one inch wide section of hair that is half an inch shorter than the rest. I know it's hair and it will grow, but it makes me kick myself every time I see it. I'm sorry, buddy. Mama's Barber Shop is officially closed.

Naughty, naughty Mama